Mark Twain famously said, “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter. ’Tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”
Even a slightly misused word can lead to an unintended message (or is it massage?) and effect (affect?) for our audience. For example, a whole problem means something very different than a hole problem. The former refers to the entire situation at hand, whereas the latter refers to a ditch in the road where your car got stuck.
Most misuse errors fall into one of two categories: The first misuse category, homophones, are words that have similar pronunciation but different spelling or meaning; the second error category includes words that people believe to have interchangeable meanings, when in fact the words have distinct meanings.
This article will discuss homophones and other commonly misused words, providing examples to help you avoid these mistakes in your writing.
Misuse Error #1: Homophones
In speech, people can get away with misusing homophones, those words that have the same pronunciation but different spellings or meanings. Common examples of homophones include except/accept, are/our, you’re/your, and capital/capitol.
In writing, misusing these words becomes much more apparent and detrimental–using the incorrect homophone on a college paper, a job application, or social media message might give your text a completely unintended meaning. Frequently misusing words indicates carelessness or clumsiness in composition, a quality that no writer wants to display.
Commonly confused homophones include the following:
are vs. our
Are (linking verb) expresses a noun’s present state, and our (possessive adjective) expresses collective possession of something.
- Correct: We are headed to our basketball game.
compliment vs. complement
Compliment (noun) means a nice, uplifting comment, while complement (verb) indicates that something pairs well with something else.
- Correct: My boss gave me a compliment about my recent effort at work.
- Correct: In a fruit salad, blackberries and melon complement each other very well.
affect vs. effect
Affect (verb) is the action of impacting something; effect (noun) refers to the impact itself.
- Correct: Your words affect others more than you realize.
- Correct: Our words had a big effect.
accept vs. except
Accept (verb) means to receive something, while except (preposition or verb) excludes items from a category.
- Correct: We accept all forms of payment except cash.
it’s vs its
The apostrophe stands in for missing letters, so it’s (noun+verb) means it is; its (possessive adjective) expresses an object’s ownership.
- Correct: It’s my duty to make sure the team keeps its winning streak alive.
there, they’re, their
There (adverb or pronoun) refers to a location; they’re (noun+verb) means they are; their (possessive adjective) expresses a group’s ownership of something.
- Correct: They’re watching their new TV over there.
then vs. than
Then (adverb) provides information about when a verb took place; than (preposition) introduces the second item in an uneven comparison.
- Correct: If you see that one store has a better deal than another, then you should go to the one with the better deal.
your vs. you’re
Your (possessive adjective) expresses the audience’s possession of something; you’re (noun+verb) means you are.
- Correct: You’re only going to win the game if you keep your composure.
to vs. too
To (preposition) indicates movement toward or for something; too (adverb) means also.
- Correct: I plan to give you a birthday present, too.
principal vs. principle
A principle (noun) is a fundamental value or truth; principal (adjective) modifies something as primary or first in importance, and principal (noun) refers to someone in a leadership position within an organization.
- Correct: My company’s principal principle is to serve people.
Misuse Error #2: Words That May Seem Interchangeable but Aren’t
Many writing and speech errors center around the incorrect usage of words that people confuse as interchangeable, when they really aren’t. While you may have heard people mix up the following word pairs, using the correct word will show your attentiveness in language and set you apart from those who incorrectly confuse them. Check out the following distinctions:
agitated vs. aggravated
Agitated (adjective) means “feeling or appearing troubled or anxious,” and agitate (verb) means to “make someone troubled or nervous”; aggravated (adjective) means “made more serious or worse,” and aggravate (verb) means “to make worse or more serious.”
- Correct: Whenever I aggravate an injury, it makes me agitated.
ambiguous vs. ambivalent
Ambiguous (adjective) means “unclear or having multiple possible meanings”; ambivalent (adjective) means “having contradictory or mixed feelings about something.”
- Correct: Your ambiguous messages make me ambivalent about what to do.
farther vs. further
Farther and further (both adverbs) both describe something occurring at a longer distance relative to something else; however, farther refers to physical distances, while further refers to figurative or nonliteral distances or changes, also filling in for the words moreover or additionally.
- Correct: It became harder to communicate when he moved farther away; further, he never answers his cell phone.
lay vs. lie
To lie (verb), in addition to the distinct meaning of saying something untrue, means “to recline”; on the contrary, to lay means “to put down gently.” Lie does not take an object, but lay does take an object.
- Correct: Before I lie in bed, I need to lay a pillow down.
which vs. that
Which and that (relative pronouns) both allow you to modify pronouns with phrases or clauses. However, which, which usually follows a comma, precedes information that is not essential to the sentence. Use that to precede an essential phrase or clause.
- Correct: My family bought a house that has three bedrooms. I get to pick my room first, which makes me happy.
Wrapping up
As with many aspects of grammar, you can improve correct word use by reading and writing as much as possible, noticing how and when authors use particular words. If you feel stuck, consult this guide or others like it, and keep pushing your writing forward by using new, more specific words that add clarity and precision to your writing.
